The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared the latest news from Mars. NASA’s Odyssey orbiter captured an unusual view of the Mars horizon with a camera. The department itself called the photos “stunning.”
The images were taken from an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers above the surface of Mars, at about the same height as the International Space Station orbits the Earth. NASA said:
“The Odyssey orbiter has revealed clouds and dust in the Red Planet’s sky, as well as one of its two tiny moons.”
The spacecraft captured a series of panoramic images showing the curved Martian landscape under transparent layers of clouds and dust. According to NASA, the ten images stitched together not only offer a fresh and stunning view of Mars, but will also help scientists gain new insights into the Martian atmosphere.
Jonathon Hill of Arizona State University explained:
“If there were astronauts orbiting Mars, they would see exactly this perspective. No Martian spacecraft has ever captured this view before.”
The reason why this species is so unusual is because of the difficulties associated with its creation. Engineers from the mission and Lockheed Martin Space, the company that built Odyssey, spent three months planning THEMIS observations. The infrared camera’s sensitivity to heat allows it to detect ice, rocks, sand, and dust, as well as temperature changes on the planet’s surface.
In October 2023, NASA Odyssey marked 22 years since its arrival on Mars in 2001.
